interviews

Interview with Grave Concerns - August 10, 1999

1) Gothgirl-How did Collide start and why?

kaRIN: Statik and I were friends and Statik had already released a solo project called Statik Machines. He was working on a new song, so he asked if I would put some vocals on it. I did, we made a couple more together and then realized that it was important to us--sort of a crazy obsession.

2) Gothgirl-Do you feel like your music can be compared to the band Curve, but with more industrial sounds?
Statik: I don't think that we really sound like Curve. I very much like their sound though, especially "Cuckoo". There aren't too many bands that I really like that have a both the guitar and programmed thing going on. Curve would have to be one of the best, in my opinion.

kaRIN: I understand the comparison, sort of a male/ female balance of smoothness and aggression.

3) Gothgirl-How do you feel your music has helped the industrial/gothic music scene? What do the people think about this music where you live?

kaRIN: I canít really say that itís really helped the industrial/gothic scene, if anything, itís bridged the two together slightly more. My favourite place to listen and be exposed to new music is on the dance floor, so itís great and inspiring when there is a DJ that is not just satisfying a complacent or retro audience they are introducing new things.

Statik: I must agree. I don't know that we helped anything. I guess if anything, hopefully we helped breath a little new life into the scene. We both always get bored when we go to a club and they play the same old music that's been played for the past 10 years.

4) Gothgirl-I recently saw Econoline Crush on July 12, 1999 and met Trevor. What was it like working with Econoline Crush?

Statik: It was a good experience. I had a good feeling in the beginning that their record would do well. They had well written songs and Trevor is a great singer. So in that respect itís easy to take what was there and just have fun with it and add my own parts and sounds. It's much harder to work with someone when you don't like the song and you are trying to make something out of nothing.

5) Gothgirl-Will you be working with Econoline Crush in the future?

Statik: I'm not sure...that's more of a question for them. I saw them when they played L.A. last year, and said hello after the show, but no one has approached me for working on the next record.

6) Gothgirl-Who would you like to work with on future records and are you going to be working with anyone on the next album

kaRIN: I love adding new combinations of people together. Just recently we had William Faith of Faith and the Muse come and add some guitar work on one of our songs. I have also been doing a little bit of jamming with cEvin key, some of the vocals have made their way to his side project platEAU, which is mostly instrumental except for a few rough vocal snags. Itís sort of music for those in-between spaces and the vocals are just meant to be part of the piece. I hope to do more crossover in the future.

Statik: I don't really have anyone in particular in mind to work with at the moment. When we work with someone it's really just something that happens spontaneously...and it's not really planned out. It's more of a case of who's available when we're actually working on a song where we want external input. Sometime it would be good to work with a producer that we both respect, someone like Flood for example, to get some outside input.

7) Gothgirl-I have heard that you like to paint, how does your artwork reflect on your music and or does your music reflect your artwork?

kaRIN; Itís all part of the same--basically I like to create everything around me and make my own world. A long time ago I got really discusted with general society, so I decided to make my own world.

8) Gothgirl-Do you feel more creative making music or artwork?

kaRIN; I would have to say music, as I find it more satisfying, I also like collaborating with other people a lot, I find I get bored of my own work, I like the input and interaction of other creative people. I also like the art of photography, both in front and behind the camera.

9) Gothgirl-What would your definition of a form of art?

Statik: Something created with the sole purpose of giving some sort of pleasure or thought to the person looking/or listening to it.
kaRIN: To me art is the purest of expression, and in order to truly convey something it must touch something from inside. I appreciate it in all forms, however, in order to truly gain my respect it has to satisfy me on all levels.

10) Gothgirl-How do you feel about the industrial scene today? What do you hope happens in the future with this genre?

Statik: I feel that as a buzzword, industrial is dead. Nobody wants to be industrial. What is it anyway? I'm bored of what most people say is industrial nowadays. I don't know what to call any of the music that I like now...it varies so much. I definitely like electronic music. I like new sounds that I haven't heard before, or sounds that are used in a new way. I like things to the extreme. What I don't like is hearing something that was done by hundreds of bands, over and over, copying something that was done years ago. If people would just try to be original more, that would make me happy.

kaRIN: In order for it to thrive, it must move forward, the parameters have to increase, or it will stagnate--seen it--done it been there. We have always embraced all of the elements of all the music that we like--we have never felt the need to conform to any one set of standards.

11) Gothgirl-How will Collide expand musically in the years to come?

kaRIN: Itís hard to say each song is always a mystery to unfold...

Statik: We're just trying to write songs that we're both happy with...pretty much like we've always tried to do. So whatever the song sounds like at that point...that's where we'll be. Although we come from pretty different directions, when it goes into what we put into our songs...we both are pretty similar when we are deciding what goes and what stays when we're working.

12) Gothgirl-What is happening next with the band?

kaRIN: We are working on our next album, slowly but surely, for us itís quite a process because we both have high expectations of what we want to hear from ourselves and nothing seems good enough.

Statik: We're about halfway done with the new album. It's really just been since this year that we've really had time to really devote to it. We both really want to push to get it done before the end of the year....we're trying hard.

13) Gothgirl-Any final comments about the band or the scene around you?

kaRIN: Major appreciation goes out to all of the other artists that are out there creating, we know how time consuming and what a labor of love it is. Thanks to the people who keep the scene going. We also love it when people write, just when we start thinking that we suck, weíll get a really great letter from someone.

Statik: Also, thanks to all of those who request new music from music stores, radio, tv. Really let those who are putting out music know what you want to hear. It's the only way that we can get new music out there. If you want to hear more Collide or more of whoever...let your voice be heard. it's really surprising what speaking up will do...if enough people do it.